Jiri Hudler has made a big impact in a short time with Calgary Flames.

He didn't factor into the scoring Tuesday night, but was on the winning side at Joe Louis Arena. The Flames beat the Wings, 4-1.

Hudler entered Tuesday's game with two goals and three assists in his first three games.

He had one shot and one hit in 16:46. He also had one penalty, for holding Henrik Zetterberg at 13:21 of the second period.

Hudler signed with the Flames last summer, after playing seven seasons with the Wings.

"It's nice to be back," Hudler said after the morning skate. "Got a lot of good memories here. It'll be interesting to play against guys I played with for a long time."

Hudler missed the first three games to attend his father's funeral back in the Czech Republic.

"Having to go back home, take care of the funeral, all the paperwork, Jiri comes right back, right in the lineup and he has been a force for us," said Flames head coach Bob Hartley. "I have so much respect. I knew him as a player, now I know him as a player and as a man. I'm very, very impressed with Jiri Hudler.

"He's a gamer. He always wants to compete. With the puck, he's so creative. His passing, his vision around the net, he's very gifted. Has that quick release that can surprise many goalies. At the same time, I think he was raised in a great organization and you can tell his on-ice habits are very good and I think that's going to be a great example for our young players."